Over 200 youth offenders have graduated from an ICT skills development programme initiated by the Department of Communications (DOC) and the Department of Correctional Services (DCS).
The initiative, known as the eLiteracy Programme for Youth Offenders, includes males and females aged between 14 to 35 years old.
“The programme provided youth offenders with information and communications technology (ICT) skills as part of their rehabilitation process, particularly those close to being integrated back into society,” says the DOC.
The departments awarded certificates to graduates on Friday at the Leeuwkop Correctional Centre.
Educational imbalance
The DCS says towards the end of last year over 317 offenders attended intensive training.
The youth offenders received certificates in the International Computer Driver's Licence (ICDL), digital literacy and A+ computer technical training, according to the DOC.
It says it realised that, although globally young people are the early adopters and users of ICT, in SA the legacy of educational imbalances has denied the youth the opportunity to access and use ICT, due to inadequate or lack of skills.
For this reason, the department contributed close to R2 million to the programme.
Nationwide training
The departments worked with Microsoft, Phenduka Consulting and Learn Things Africa as a training entity.
The DOC says the programme is being rolled out in two phases, the first of which began in 2009 and is now complete.
The second one is the training phase, which began in 2010 for 2011, and targets 500 youth offenders in the Eastern, Northern and Western Cape provinces.
“The training is based on seven ICDL modules. A total of 81 learners including 12 DCS officials also obtained the ICDL qualifications.”
All participants will receive competence certificates issued by accredited training provider Learn Things Africa.
ICT jobs
“Human beings must be occupied in order to produce and make a living. Without skills and without jobs, such an opportunity does not exist for many young offenders in our facilities,” said DCS minister Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula.
The DOC says keeping in line with the government's job creation objectives, it will focus on job creation in the ICT industry.
“The department's seriousness about ensuring that ICTs are de-mystified can be attested to by the type of investment that has been committed to this programme. ICTs have become the cornerstone for socio-economic development.
“It is for that reason this programme is focusing on getting as many young people as possible to be ICT skilled and capable to enable them to participate actively in both the information society and knowledge economy,” said deputy communications minister Obed Bapela.
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